Umbra and Lucem

Chapter 7

Hindi ko kailangan ng kung anong koneksyon o kung sino man para malaman ko na may isang taong nagpapanggap bilang si Asea Saldivar. From the first look, I already that girl was fake. That girl that I was looking at before was not Asea Saldivar because I know who exactly she is.

When I found out what her name was, I immediately look for a way to contact her. I know that she will be the key for getting the information I need to solve for the cases I have trying so hard to finish. I have been stuck there for months and still nothing, I wasn't on the edge of giving up but I was not definitely going somewhere and I hated that. I hated it so much that I made a decision I was not sure that if its gonna work. It all started because of that impulse decision of mine.

The first time I talked to Sienna was the first time I realized that I was desperate. But I had to finish what I started that's why I had to convince her to do something for me because I knew, she knew that everything around her was not real. That something not right is happening. Maybe it was the reason why she agreed on helping me. I don't know what was that but I didn't care that time because all I was thinking was to find the mastermind behind Alani's death.

I told Sienna to do many things, one of them was to throw a party so I could sneak inside the mansion. I could remember how determined I was before the party. I was so eager to find some evidences and unravel things that were hidden behind those big barricades, but when the time has come for me to leave, something happened to me. Something I didn't understand before but now I do. I was trying so hard to deny that I was scared, all I could say to myself that maybe I was too tired from doing all the job so I don't feel like doing it anymore, but the truth? I was afraid for the things I will found and see that's why I never took off.

I never sneaked in.

After that night, I acted and pretended that didn't happen. I never told anyone about it, even Sienna. We started collecting evidences and witnesses' part on Alani's and Bianca's case. We all did that together with Bianca, Sienna, and Suede. But little did I know, Sienna was onto something.

Working with Suede was difficult thing for me to do. I hated him as much as he hated me. We never had a good relationship at the start. I never liked his father for my father and I was a rebel that time, what I believe is the only thing I believe. I don't care what other thinks as long as things will go mine. And I realized now how toxic I was, how immature I was. I wish I could have been different. I wish I have known better.

The night that I was invited for a bachelor party of my colleauges in an outside organization that I was part in, I saw Sienna there. I was really on the mood that time. I wasn't thinking anything but the party. I promise to myself that time that I would left that part of me and just enjoy the whole night with those friends, but I never thought that night would end in a disaster. I found out that Sienna was apparently doing her own search. Her own investigation. For what? I didn't know. All I could think that time was Sienna was betraying us, that she was definitely hiding something from us.

I could still remember how I flashed, how we flashed that night infront of so many people but I couldn't care less. I was furious because of what she did. We were supposed to do things like that together, we were not supposed to hide things like that from each other because what's the point of working together is she kept doing something like this? Wow, I sound very toxic right now. She would slapped me right here, right now for saying things like these.

After the fight that I had with her, I lay-low. I didn't talk to anyone about it. I was just mad and I couldn't control myself but after weeks of doing nothing, I realized that I was wrong. That I shouldn't have done what I have done to Sienna that night because of am I to tell her things what she needed to do? I was just a stranger who entered her life, who contributed to the chaos she was experiencing.

I felt guilty that's why I talked to Bianca and asked her what they were doing. I found out that they were trying to find some evidences in Dierro's house, the waiter that Sienna talked to in the bar that night. Bianca said that they are already there and if I wanted to help, I can always come and help. That moment, I tried to lower my pride and ego because I know it will not get me to something. I have been so stubborn in my whole life but I really wanted to solve Alani's case. I wanted to give her the justice she deserved, that's why I joined them.

The time when I finally got to the location that Bianca said where they were, I thought the only thing I am going to do was to talk to them and offer my help, but little did I know it was the day I will get myself to the hospital. While Bianca and I were talking inside the car, this random stranger attacked us. I did what I have to do, I defended us both.

I wasn't really good with fighting, I never was but I had to do it because I don't think Bianca can do it also. The fight went on until the stranger pull out a knife and stabbed me. That was the only thing I could remember.

After weeks of recovering from it, I thought I was going to die but luckily I didn't. Suede informed me that the real Asea Saldivar is in town. The first time I heard about it, I felt my heart just jumped out of my chest. I didn't expect her to come back in the Philippines. I thought she was going to stay there in New Zealand for good. I was really confused and a little bit scared for Sienna. I was worried for her, for the thing she was doing. Ano na lang ang mangyayari kapag nabuko siya?

I have known the Saldivars, especially and Alani and Asea for so long beause we all grew up together. My mother was a business partner of Don Galileo until the contract ended and my mother left them. Because of that, I always at the hacienda. We we're basically playmates and from that, I knew exactly what was the reason Asea decided to leave Philippines and pursue her life in New Zealand, it was because she felt an outcast. Alani was the star of the family and Asea was always living behind her shadow, I don't wonder why she became what she is right now. It all rooted how they were treated when they were a child.

All of us talked after that. We planned what we're going to do next and what to do with Asea's situation, but came next to that was Sienna telling us that Alani was adopted. Honestly, I was shocked not because of what she said to us, I was shocked that she knew about it. I've known the secret as far as I can remember because I was the one Alani told about it. She knew and I knew that she was adopted but I didn't say that to them, I pretended that was the first time I heard of it. I wasn't really sure that time if it's going to help saying that information to them, plus it was a secret between us Alani.

The night she called me, it was the night she said that her pretending was over. That time, we we're not in good terms. She felt awkward and sorry for what happened between us but I assured that everything was fine, that everything is okay and she has nothing to worry about. I was happy for her. By that mornign, I picked up her up like what she told me because we planned talking with the others, planning what our next move will be. It was also the day we found out that the Saldivars have turned the tables and made Sienna the criminal. I could still remember how outrageous she was that time. She was in pain because imagine the hardship she experienced under Don Galileo's ploy and taking all the blame for something that she didn't want at first? I didn't know what to say to her that time, I wanted to tell her that everything was going to be fine, that we will go past this but I think I wasn't telling the truth because that very day also, we were in staged car crash. Don Galileo tried to kill us.

I didn't even spend a day in the hospital recovering, he just made me leave the place with the traumas I got from what he did and made me suffer again and again with his torture. I couldn't even remember how long we were there, suffering, crying, and begging for them to stop hurting us. I couldn't even remember too what I was saying. It was too hard. Too painful to the point I lost what I believe in, I succummed. I didn't want to experience drinking my own blood again that's why I complied to Asea and offered what I can do to get what she wanted. The papers.

No matter how I hated myself for betraying my moral and Sienna, I just couldn't do it. I have to save us all, including Bianca and Suede but Suede was being stubborn. I admired what he was doing, keeping and believing to Sienna but if h kept doing that it would be the cause of his death and I couldn't let that happen. I didn't Suede dead. That's why I told Sienna about Suede's father and his condition. That was the only thing I knew that could force him to give up what he was doing and I was right. It was a hard thing, but it was the right thing.

The day when Asea told us that Sienna will be trying to save us was the start of the plan that I gave to Asea. My conscience was eating me that time but I couldn't let it win because there were a lot of at stakes there. I had to make that happen even if betraying and deceiving Sienna was the only way of making it.